Facebook Privacy Changes Make Users Think, then Act.

There are plenty of pundits and privacy advocates that have spoken out against the recent changes Facebook made to its default privacy settings. But what about the users? Unlike other changes made to Facebook, such as the introduction of news feeds and the misuse of Beacon, the recent changes for privacy have yet to create an all out uproar from users.

Concern from users, yes. We’ve seen plenty of that. Several blogs have made resource guides for aiding users in setting up their new privacy settings, with others merely pointing out the ramifications of the new privacy settings.

Yet a recent study has finally revealed what users have been doing on Facebook since the new privacy settings were rolled out late last year. Turns out, a good portion of them have gone and modified their Facebook privacy settings. Many of those that did so were Facebook users that had never even bothered with their privacy settings, meaning that Facebook’s changes have highlighted the concern around user privacy.

According to BayNewser, 35% of Facebook users that updated their privacy settings as a result of the changes were users that had never done so previously. This indicates that the very act of releasing new privacy default settings has brought about enough concern from users to drive them to action.

It also indicates that Facebook did a good job with its own education of its users. Upon revealing the new privacy settings, Facebook posted a large welcome greeting to all of its users, alerting them to the changes that had been instituted. A link was also provided for them to update their privacy settings, as well as explanations as to what each new default setting means for their social graph interaction.

While Facebook could have done a better job explaining the new settings individually, I think Facebook did a pretty good job of making its users aware of the changes. The education process around any major updates Facebook makes on an executive level is a task in and of itself, potentially conjuring a massive backlash from users or the temporary entanglement of its customer service department.

With users updating their privacy settings instead of leaving Facebook all together, it’s clear that Facebook has become an important aspect of many users’ regular communication with others. This level of user commitment to Facebook is what the company relies on for brand loyalty, allowing the social network to make changes on such a large scale.

With other growing networks such as Twitter reaching high rates of growth, Facebook is also looking to remain competitive in the space. The public acceptance of more open sharing has also given Facebook the validation it needed to move forward with the new privacy settings.

As a relatively private network by default, however, Facebook also helps to create the standards around with we operate our social networking behavior. With that being said, it’s also important for Facebook to retain its commitment to its user base. Bringing up the topic of privacy to its users was a forcible action, but a necessary one.

As social networks become more integrated with each other and accessible on multiple devices, consumers will have to continue to address their own privacy concerns when it comes to social networking. Realizing the gravity of their social networking privacy is the next step towards revolutionizing the way in which we communicate, ultimately shaping every existing and upcoming social network that sees success in the future.